


Enough

by ThisIsHowIShowMyLove (Aelphaba)



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Hurt Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Insecure Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders, Post-Episode: Putting Others First - Selfishness v. Selflessness Redux | Sanders Sides, Sympathetic Anxiety | Virgil Sanders, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:14:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24569071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aelphaba/pseuds/ThisIsHowIShowMyLove
Summary: Nothing he did was ever good enough. No matter how hard he tried, he always seemed to mess everything up. And then, on the rare occasions that he did manage to do something right, someone else almost always seemed to get the credit. He did everything in his power to fulfil his purpose, just like the other Sides. He tried, again and again, to make Thomas' dreams come true, but they consistently belittle him for his efforts. In fact, one of the few times he could remember actually getting praised for doing something right was for the split-second decision to give everything up.In aftermath of the Wedding, Roman can't help but wonder: maybe they would be better off without him.Happy belated birthday Roman! (04/06/2020)
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Everyone, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders & Thomas Sanders
Comments: 11
Kudos: 124





	Enough

Nothing he did was ever good enough. No matter how hard he tried, he always seemed to mess everything up. And then, on the rare occasions that he did manage to do something right, someone else almost always seemed to get the credit. It's not like he wanted parties and parades every time he made a good suggestion, but a little bit of recognition would be nice now and then.

The thing about being the embodiment of Thomas' ego was that their words could get a bit bruising sometimes. He did everything in his power to fulfil his purpose, just like the other Sides, yet he is barred on all sides. He tried, again and again, to make Thomas' dreams come true, but they consistently belittle him for his efforts. In fact, one of the few times he could remember actually getting praised for doing something right was for the split-second decision to give everything up.

Was it even worth it? Would they even notice if he disappeared? His role wasn't so important to Thomas' physical well-being that he would be unable to function without Roman. It wouldn't be like when Virgil ducked out, when Thomas became a danger to himself almost immediately afterwards. Thomas might experience some creative block, but that was hardly a disaster. Thomas could tap into Remus' skillset if he needed it, though Logan would likely jump at the opportunity to take the reins. Thomas could go back to studying or get a job in the sciences. With a real income, he wouldn't need to do YouTube anymore, thus eliminating the majority of Roman's purpose. He'd just have to hand over control of Thomas' arm to someone else. He could create his own redundancy. Everybody wins.

Virgil and Patton certainly wouldn't miss him - that much was made abundantly clear when Remus came to visit. Patton had been disappointed in him for ages. Everything Roman did always seemed to have the opposite effect on the fatherly Side. Even the decision to go to the wedding hadn't really made that much of a difference. Then after being manipulated time and time again by Deceit, Patton was expecting Roman to trust him? That wasn't going to happen. As for his relationship with Virgil, it was antagonistic at best. It seemed like every time Roman thought he'd made progress with the Anxious Side, he would say or do something that would send them back to square one. Virgil had barely spoken to him after the disaster in the courtroom.

Maybe they would be better off without him. One Creativity was more than enough. They probably wouldn't even miss him.

Between blinks, several ribbons materialised from nowhere - one end tied to his wrist, the other end disappearing through the ceiling, presumably towards the real world. Each ribbon was marked, in his own careful handwriting, the name of one of his responsibilities.

_Ego. Romanticism. Passion._ Patton could look after those.

_Love of Music. Love of Disney. Love of Theatre._ Virgil would probably appreciate those - they shouldn't interfere with his job too much.

_(Good) Creativity_. Logan might get some use from the writing ability. Though, with Logan's opinions on the creative arts, he'd be better giving it to Remus. His brother didn't have to use it, but at least it wouldn't be wholly wasted that way.

_Hopes and Dreams_. Perhaps Deceit... no, Janus. He seemed to be the only person who wanted Thomas to succeed if their latest interactions were any measure.

Yes, that would be best. So long as Roman does this one thing right, Thomas shouldn't notice anything. One by one, he untied the ribbons and willed them to their new recipients. As each ribbon disappeared from view, Roman grew gradually colder. The colour slowly bled from the room and himself. Soon, only one ribbon remained - Creativity. Without this, he truly was nothing. Remus would do fine as the central Creativity. It would be hard, but Remus and Thomas would get used to it. There'd be a period of adjustment, but they'd all figure it out. Logan apparently had a knack for reeling Remus in - he'd figure out a new system in time. All he had to do was untie the ribbon and send it on its way. Such a simple action. Nothing difficult there at all.

There was a loud pounding at his bedroom door. "Open up, Princey! I know you're in there."

Virgil? What was he doing here now?

"You have five seconds to open this door, or I'll break it down. 5..."

Roman leapt to his feet - when had he sat down? - and hurried to open the door. Virgil was deceptively strong and had been known to break both doors and windows in an emergency. The emo stumbled through the doorway, his eyes growing wide as he took in the monochromatic scene before him. He then turned to Roman and froze.

"Roman, what have you done?"

"Nothing too drastic. Just trying to streamline things for Thomas, is all."

"Streamline? Why would we need to streamline anything? What the hell are these ribbons?"

"Just a slight redistribution of duties, Emo Nightmare. Nothing to be concerned about."

"You do know who you're talking to, right? Being concerned is literally the job description. What have you given me?" Virgil twisted his wrist awkwardly to read the writing. "Love of Theatre?"

"The other two are Love of Music and Love of Disney. I figured they wouldn't interfere too much with your aesthetic."

"Why did you give me these? How are you supposed to be a Disney Prince if you... you're ducking out."

"What? No..."

"That's why your room is greyer than mine. You're handing out your traits so you can duck out without Thomas being affected."

"No, I'm not..."

"What the hell would make you want to duck out? It's not like you're hurting Thomas."

"I'm not hurting him?" Roman spat. "I'm not hurting him? How soon you all forget. I can summarise it all in a single word, my dear Virgil." Roman glared at the emo. "Wedding."

Patton's voice came from the doorway. "I don't understand. You chose the wedding, Roman? Isn't that what you wanted?"

All the anger and hurt he had been holding back since that fateful judgement welled up inside him and exploded. "What I wanted? That was what _you_ wanted! In what universe would I have ever willingly chosen to give up the chance of a lifetime for a wedding?! I have worked Thomas' entire life helping him achieve his hopes and dreams - why would I want to pull out the rug on him now?"

"So, you wanted him to lie to his friends?" Patton asked.

"I never… That is not the point!" Roman sputtered.

"Then what is, kiddo?"

"Without me, you wouldn't have had to make the decision at all!"

Virgil's eyes zeroed in on the final ribbon. "Which trait is that?"

Roman began to pick at the knot. "Creativity."

"And who are you giving it to?"

"Remus."

"Why?"

"He'll know how to use it. Maybe this will have a good influence on him. If not, Logan will be able to rein him in. He'll enjoy the extra power, I'm sure."

"Who, Remus?" Virgil asked as he began to slowly cross the room towards Roman.

"No, Logan," Roman replied dismissively. "Remus and I have had shared control over the Imagination since the beginning, so it won't be too big of a change."

Virgil inched steadily closer. "Why would Logan be getting extra power?"

"And what traits did you leave him?" Patton asked.

"I didn't leave him anything. It would've just slowed him down like I always do."

"I was wondering about the cause of the sudden imbalance in the mindscape," Logan drawled from the doorway. "I see it is just our resident Drama Queen, throwing a tantrum."

"Ah, the nerd has graced us with his presence. You'll be pleased to know that you won't need to worry about my tantrums any longer. Congratulations! You've won."

"Excuse me?"

"You've won. You no longer have to contend with me for control over Thomas' decisions. I'm sure if you ask nicely, Dece- Janus will lock Remus away again, and then Thomas can be the engineer you've always wanted him to be. Or maybe he can study astronomy. Either way, Thomas can go be a nerd, without distracting Creativity getting in the way. Just like you've always wanted."

"I am utterly baffled as to why you would think that to be the case, but I have never--"

"Zero point five percent."

Logan adjusted his glasses further up his nose. "Excuse me?"

"That is the percentage of Thomas' day that you allocated to focusing on his dreams."

"I..."

"Seven minutes per day. You condensed my entire role down to seven minutes per day, while you would be actively participating in at least half of any day. It's been fairly obvious that you don't want me around."

"That... is not true."

"I don't blame you - I'm just an impulsive narcissist who can't be trusted with secrets and never fails to disappoint everyone."

"Kiddo, that just isn't true!"

"So, it was someone else who was consistently pushed to the side every time something important happened with Thomas. No?" Roman scoffed. "You've all been knocking me down a peg for years now. Clearly, I'm not good enough at my job to be a part of this family, so I'm saving you all the trouble of kicking me out when you change your tune."

"Roman, look at me," Virgil said, stepping out in front of both Patton and Logan. When the Creative Side's eyes finally came to rest on him, Virgil smiled. "Can you take a deep breath with me? We'll try a count of four to start off with, okay?"

Logan scoffed loudly, earning a harsh glare from Virgil, but the anxious Side remained perfectly calm and kind to Roman.

"Let's start with in, two, three, four. Then hold, two, three, four. And out, two, three, four."

"Why are we catering to yet another of Roman's tantrums?"

At first, Virgil ignored Logan's outburst and focused on coaching Roman. "That's it. In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Out, two, three, four. Well done, Roman. And again."

But when he eventually turned to face the Logical Side, there was a fury in his eyes that nearly made Logan rock back on his heels. "Because we have listened to your problems and made sure you felt heard. Because he has taken abuse from you for years while you were allowed to learn about yourself and grow. No matter how often you were silenced, we all listened to Logic in the end. But right now? I am going to listen to Roman because he is at his breaking point."

Virgil turned back to Roman. "Are you ready to try a 4-5-6 rhythm?"

Tears were streaming down Roman's face, but he nodded nonetheless. There was something about the slow regularity of the breathing exercise that seemed to sap away all of his anger and just leave him feeling sad again.

"Alright then. In, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four, five. Out, two, three, four, five, six. And again, two, three, four…"

Logan stormed out of the room, muttering under his breath, Patton apparently on his heels. Virgil didn't let up though and continued to coach Roman through his repetitions. Gradually, they slowed his breathing to the 4-7-8 rhythm they had all practised.

"Feeling any better?"

Roman's eyelids fluttered open – when had he closed them? – and he looked at Virgil. His heart twisted at the sight of the ribbons tied to the emo's wrist. He was going to miss being Creativity.

"I- I'm fine now, Virgil. You don't need to worry about me anymore."

Virgil's eyes narrowed. "Alright, I think it's time we go visit Thomas. He'll knock some sense into you."

"Thomas? He doesn't need to-"

"Of course, he needs to know, Princey. You're his hero, remember?"

"He was lying! Deceit told me so himself. I am nothing but the villain of the story now."

Virgil frowned, then reached out and grabbed Roman by the wrist. "Come on. This needs to get sorted now."

With a pop, the pair landed in Virgil's usual spot on the stairs. However, when Roman moved to stand over by the television, as was usual, Virgil pulled him back. At Roman's inquisitive look, Virgil smiled.

"I don't want you alone for this one."

Roman collapsed back onto the stairs, curling in on himself in his shock. In fact, he didn't even notice Thomas entering the living room until he was standing right in front of him.

"Hey there, Princey. Are you okay? You're looking a bit…"

"Off-colour?"

"Down, but that works too. What's up?"

"Nothing's going on, Thomas! Everything is fine. I was just… tying up some loose ends is all. Nothing for you to be concerned about."

"Virgil seems to be concerned about something. Concerned enough to bring you up here."

"Virgil is Anxiety! It's his M.O. to be worried about everything. Trust me, Thomas, everything is fine."

Janus popped up next to Logan's usual spot, wearing his own face for a change. "Are you sure about that, Roman? Then perhaps I should just let this ribbon go free? I'm sure there wouldn't be any detrimental effects at all…"

"Leave him alone, Janus." Virgil snapped, though his tone lacked the usual bite.

"I was just asking whether Roman wanted it back or not. I mean, they're pretty important – not something you give away frivolously."

"I was wondering about the ribbons," Thomas piped up. "What's up with them?"

Roman immediately waved the question off. "They're nothing important. Nothing you need to worry about, Thomas."

"Roman."

"I've just been doing some spring cleaning," Roman explained. "Taking the Marie Kondo approach."

"And what, discarding your traits?" Janus asked slyly. "Or discarding you?"

"Hang on, what?!" Thomas exclaimed.

"Why did you give this one to me, Roman?" Janus continued. "Hopes and Dreams hardly seems like an appropriate trait for the snake to possess. After everything that happened with the wedding…"

"That's enough, Janus," Thomas said. "Are you ducking out, Roman?"

"Of course not! Why would I want to do that?" Roman replied, a little too quickly. He was panicking, so sue him!

"Why would you, indeed?" Janus drawled.

Thomas threw his hands up. "I think we need the others here for this conversation."

"Remus too," Virgil interjected.

Roman and Thomas recoiled.

"Seriously?"

"What would you want my… that demonic trash panda for?"

"We need everyone that will be affected."

"If you're sure. Patton? Logan? ...Remus?"

Roman shrunk back, slipping behind Virgil. This was precisely what he was trying to avoid. Why couldn't they have let him disappear quietly?

Logan rose up first with a scowl. "Must we do this right now? I have very important work that needs doing, and you didn't have a video scheduled for today."

Patton rose up next. "Of course we do, Logan! How would you feel if we ignored you in your time of crisis?"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Well, considering that I don't "feel" anything, that is hardly an issue. What is an issue is how Roman's tantrums are repeatedly disturbing the balance of the mindscape!"

Remus popped into view in front of the television, his eyes roving wildly around Thomas' living room. "Woah! I've never been summoned before. That was super weird. Are you ready to listen to my ideas? I told you that Roman was going to make you sick." Finally, Remus' eyes seemed to land upon Roman, and he recoiled. "Wait, what the hell did you do, Broman?"

That seemed to finally inspire a response other than apathy out of Logan. "You deliberately summoned Remus?"

"Yes, I summoned him," Thomas replied, glancing sidelong at Virgil. "He needs to be part of the conversation."

Logan's jaw visibly dropped. He snapped it closed with an audible click, then adjusted his glasses. "Why on earth would you… is everyone descending into madness today? You would threaten the balance because Roman can't handle his job?"

"That is enough, Logan. I think we all need to hear what Roman has to say. Roman?"

Roman couldn't help but curl up defensively under the weight of their stares. Patton literally held all of Roman's self-worth and confidence at the moment. Was it so wrong that he would be frightened under such intense scrutiny? He could feel the heat of Logan's glare, and while Virgil wasn't directly looking at him, Roman knew he was anxious to know. Patton and Thomas seemed merely curious, but curiosity would turn to insistence soon enough. And somehow, Janus and Remus both managed to stare so intently without appearing to care. How long until they all began demanding answers?

Logan eventually rolled his eyes. "I suspect we will be standing here for an eternity if we continue to wait for Roman to speak. Perhaps, Thomas, you can ask specific questions so we can get this ordeal over with."

"Logan!" Patton rebuked. "That wasn't very nice. But maybe that might be a good idea? Thomas?"

"Alright. Roman, can you tell me what the ribbons are?"

A gentle hand came to rest between Roman's shoulder blades. "Just take it easy. Slow, deep breaths, like we practised. You can do this, Princey."

Roman worried his lip between his teeth as he considered his answer. Maybe if he stuck to the basics, they'd be satisfied? Then once they were satisfied, he could slip away and finish the job.

"They represent my traits, my role in the mindscape. Just as Patton handles more than just your Morality, I have other... responsibilities."

"Each of us represent our traits in different ways," Virgil elaborated. "L has his library. I have a record collection. I don't know what Patton or Remus use, and you don't want to know what Janus uses. Roman just happens to use ribbons."

Thomas nodded. "In that case, why do the others have your ribbons?"

Roman curled into a ball, burying his face into his knees.

Virgil spoke up. "When I ducked out, I didn't do anything about my responsibilities before I went. So, when I cut the connection, you lost access to everything I provide, not just anxiety."

"So...?"

"So, if I'd handed off my responsibilities to another side, you probably would have never noticed I was gone."

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't! We'd be lost without you, Virge."

"Thanks, Thomas."

Patton frowned. "But you're not trying to duck out, are you Roman? Without Creativity, Thomas wouldn't be able to function."

Roman summoned what he could of his old bravado and, feigning outrage, leapt to his feet. "I would never… Patton, you know me! Would I dare to leave Thomas bereft of his Creativity like that?"

The fatherly Side wilted at the rebuke. "No…"

Unfortunately, Janus began to clap. "But you would happily mislead him with such excellent character lies. Congratulations, Roman. I have taught you well."

Roman recoiled, nearly tripping up the stairs. "I would never!!"

"Lies of omission too?" The snake-like side grinned. "You're doing brilliantly!"

"I'm just trying to do what's best for Thomas!" Roman defended.

"And that's a much more truthful statement. Now, why don't you tell your rapt audience exactly what it is that you think is _best for Thomas_."

A lump formed in Roman's throat. "I…"

"How about this: why don't you be honest with Thomas and tell him the real reason why you've been handing out your traits like party favours."

"There is no reason."

"So, if I were to just let this ribbon go…?"

"That is enough!" Thomas yelled.

Just like that, all the sides stood to attention and a hand clapped over Janus' mouth. A moment later, Roman crumpled onto the stairs like a marionette with its strings cut. Thomas looked around each of them in turn.

"This discussion began because Virgil was concerned about something regarding Roman. Based on what I've heard so far, it looks like Roman has been considering ducking out, and is passing on his traits so to minimise the effect on me. Does that sound right?"

Roman remained silent and stared at his knees.

"I'll take that as a yes. In that case, I want us to have a calm, civilised discussion regarding what we are planning to do with that information. Okay?"

Each of the sides nodded in turn. Thomas focused on Janus.

"I know that your role is at least partially Self-Preservation. So, as the Self, I would appreciate it if you kept things civil."

Janus nodded, and the hand fell from his mouth.

"Excellent. Well, let's start with the obvious: the last thing I would want any of you to do is duck out, but especially you, Roman. Why do you feel like you need to do this?"

Roman began picking at the knot on his wrist. "Well, it's pretty clear that I'm the bad guy."

"Sorry, what?"

"I mean, I've done little but harm you for quite some time. When was the last time I actually did something helpful?"

"Plenty of times!"

"Name one time."

"The puppet episode!"

"I did little but whinge and antagonise Logan."

"Why Do We Get Out Of Bed In The Morning?"

"Whinge and antagonise Logan."

"When I missed Joan's reading?"

"I was the one to encourage you to practice lying, in spite of everyone else's protests."

"The break-up episodes?"

"Seriously, Thomas?" Roman replied incredulously. "I spent the whole time in part-of-the-problem town."

"The–"

"Anything before then, I was antagonising Virgil, who has been looking out for you since the beginning," Roman interrupted. "Anything more recent… well, we all know how much good I was for you in the courtroom. The fact that we have to go that far back... my input has clearly done little to benefit you."

Patton looked like he was ready to cry. "Roman…"

"So," Roman continued, "I thought that if my role were more of a team effort, then it might have a less detrimental effect."

Logan snorted. "So, you decided to offload your responsibilities onto everyone else, without consulting Thomas or garnering anyone's consent? That sounds typical of you."

"Logan!"

"What have you kept for yourself?" Logan said snidely. "Or are you truly to become a layabout and foist everything upon your compatriots?"

"Pump the brakes, Logan!"

Roman glanced down at his wrist, where the knot had nearly come loose. "Just Creativity. And there's no need to be concerned for my laziness, Logan. There's no need to be concerned at all."

Roman pulled the ribbon free, then stared straight at his brother. "I do hope you enjoy being Creativity again."

**"DON'T YOU DARE!** "

Virgil leapt forward and wrapped both his hands around Roman's, encasing both the Creative Side's fist and the ribbon in his tight grasp. The motion sent the pair to the floor, where Virgil pinned a struggling Roman beneath him. The others stood stock-still, watching in horror, as Virgil desperately tried to prevent Roman from bequeathing his core trait.

" **YOU THINK YOU'VE BEEN HARMING THOMAS? THINK OF HOW MUCH WORSE IT WOULD BE IF YOU LEFT! DO YOU WANT THOMAS TO LOSE HIS FAN-BASE? He'd have to quit YouTube and get a desk job, and you know what I think about that. We can't do that Roman. We can't do this without you.** "

There was something about the Tempest Tongue that forced you to pay attention. It only came out when Virgil was at his angriest or his most panicked, so it usually showed up only for a good reason. So, to have Virgil direct it at you for that long, you couldn't help but listen. Roman knew that his ducking out would upset the balance of the mindscape. Having the other sides managing his tasks would put a very different slant on how Thomas responded to them. Thomas' music tastes would change drastically, for one, and having Patton in charge of Thomas' self-esteem would probably be too much for the fatherly Side. After all, that was why he took the task in the first place. He was the only one strong enough (at the time) to handle the beating it regularly received. And Remus as the sole Creativity? He would have been better to just let the ribbon go completely. Each half of the job was complicated enough in itself – Roman couldn't imagine trying to handle both himself.

But surely they'd be better off with someone else, wouldn't they? He had been failing in his role so much, causing so much pain to the others. Wasn't this the best option?

"No, it isn't, Roman. Ducking out is never the best option. I would know."

Remus crossed the room and knelt beside his brother. "Don't be stupid Ro-Ro. You know I can't do both."

Roman opened his mouth to speak, but Remus silenced him with a (surprisingly clean) finger to his lips.

"What's the fun of being me, without you to bounce off of? You can't have a Duke without a Prince. Can't have a Thomas sandwich without any Roman lettuce."

Roman burst into tears. Despite everything that happened over the years, Remus had remained a constant thorn in Roman's side. Through hell and high water, Remus was always there, driving him bonkers. What would Remus have done without him there? His brother was right - they couldn't have one of them without the other. They were a pair, no matter how much they drove each other insane. The two sides of Thomas' Creativity. Brothers.

Remus reached out and plucked the ribbon from the air. "If I tie this back on, will you keep it?"

Roman nodded, and Virgil released his hands. Remus made quick work of re-tying the ribbon, knotting it multiple times and generally making it almost impossible to untie. Virgil reached to the ribbons tied around his wrist.

"Will you accept these traits, Roman? Love of Disney, Love of Music and Love of Theatre?"

Roman nodded, and Virgil began to untie the first of his ribbons. One after another, Virgil gently re-tied the ribbons to Roman's wrist, while Remus added a few extra knots for complexity. Warmth slowly began to fill into Roman, dampening a chill he hadn't realised he'd been ignoring. By the time they were done, Patton was kneeling on Roman's other side.

"Will you accept these traits, Roman? Ego, Romanticism and Passion?"

Tears continued to stream down Roman's cheeks as he nodded and Patton untied the first of his ribbons. Just like with Virgil, Patton re-tied each of the traits to Roman's arm with Remus reinforcing the knots immediately afterwards. Once they were done, Janus knelt by Roman's head.

"Will you accept this trait, Roman? Hopes and Dreams?"

Roman's eyes widened. "De- Janus. I'm so sorry. I've been such a-"

"Roman," Janus snapped. "Focus. Will you accept this trait?"

"I- I don't deserve- I've done nothing but hurt-"

"Roman, look at me!" Virgil commanded, drawing Roman's eyes to his. "You do deserve to hold Thomas' hopes and dreams. Without you, Thomas wouldn't be where he is today - a hugely successful Internet personality. Vine, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok - all of that was thanks to you. None of us has the drive to make his dreams come true like you do, Roman! We need you, even if you can be a bit of a jerk sometimes, Princey."

Roman snorted. "I guess. Janus?" The snake-like Side reappeared in his line of sight. "As long as you're sure you don't think you could do it better-"

"I won't, I promise," Janus replied, without a hint of sarcasm.

"I accept the trait of Hopes and Dreams."

Janus smiled, then untied the ribbon. Like the others before him, he re-tied the trait to Roman's wrist then left it to Remus, to strengthen the knot. Once the final trait was properly attached, the ribbons vanished from sight. After a beat, Virgil pulled Roman to his feet, and Patton dusted him off.

Thomas stepped forward. "Roman, everything Virgil said was right. You are so important to me. Your hard work has carried me through smooth sailing and rough patches alike. Without you, I would never be where I am today!"

Roman scoffed. "You say that _now_ , but your actions have spoken otherwise."

"What do you mean?"

"You used to call me your hero–"

"Of course, you are my hero!" Thomas interrupted. "I've said so all along."

Roman couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Oh, really? Then why did you lie when you said it after the wedding? Deceit even confirmed it!"

Everyone turned to face Janus, who just lifted a gloved hand to inspect his fingernails.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I would _never_ do something like that."

"Janus."

Janus sighed, just a little dramatically. "I _may_ have nodded when Roman looked to me for confirmation. I _never_ meant for him to take it as gospel."

Thomas' eyes widened in horror as he turned back to face Roman. "I wasn't lying, Roman, I swear. If anything, your sacrifice has made you even more worthy of the title."

"Save it, Thomas," Roman grumbled, wrapping his arms around his middle. "I've been convinced not to duck out – your way of life is no longer in any danger. The bowing and scraping are unnecessary."

Thomas' heartbroken expression intensified. "Roman, I…"

"Hey, Thomas?" Patton interrupted. "Would you mind if I said a few things first."

Thomas' shoulders slumped. "Go ahead, Patton."

"I've come to realise that in my quest to help Thomas become a good person, I've been confusing and hurting everyone. But no-one more than you, Roman. I'm realising that you would never have chosen the wedding over the callback if I hadn't pressured you. I'm so sorry."

_Oh God, now he's hurt Patton._ Roman floundered, trying to find the right words to say.

"Padre…"

"I mean it, Roman. I'm sorry for ignoring and dismissing you, kiddo. You deserve as much of a seat at the table as I do, and I shouldn't have made you feel otherwise."

"Roman, I think we've all treated you badly, in one form or another," Thomas said as if he were continuing the train of thought. "I know you probably won't believe me, but we're all sorry. Right guys?"

"Of course, I am, Roman!" Patton immediately burst out.

Janus fidgeted with the seams of his gloves for a moment before replying. "My apologies for comparing you to your brother. That was a low blow."

'I'll say," Remus burst out. "There ain't nobody like me, except me, J-Anus."

"I, too, would like to express my apologies for my earlier behaviour. It was uncalled for," Logan articulated, reflexively adjusting his glasses further up his nose.

Virgil laid a hand on Roman's back and softly said, "I'm sorry too, Princey."

Tears welled up in Roman's eyes as Thomas crossed the room and pulled Roman into his arms.

"I'm not sure what else I can say to convince you, other than this: I love you, Roman."

Roman buried his face into Thomas' shoulder as the tears began to spill down his cheeks. Thomas just held him close, humming softly as he ran a hand up and down Roman's spine.

Roman could barely believe this was happening. After all this time, after all the heartache, he was finally being recognised. The others were finally beginning to see how he had been pushed aside, to see what it had cost him to give up the opportunity of a lifetime. They were finally recognising how hard he tried to be a team player, even at the cost of fulfilling his role. They were beginning to see how detrimental that had been to his mental health. He couldn't be sure whether this would translate into change, but it was a start. Maybe this time, things would change. Nevertheless, he had to protect his heart.

Tears spent, Roman finally pulled away and rubbed his face against his sleeve. Thomas was smiling, though his eyes were as red as Roman presumed his own to be. A surreptitious glance around the room showed the two of them to be alone, save for Virgil. A blessing indeed. If he had to cry in front of the others, the least they could do is spare him the indignity of appearing blotchy-faced in front of an audience.

"Thank you, Thomas. I may not be able to take this on board all at once, but knowing that you care for me definitely helps."

"Of course, I do. Take as long as you need, but don't hesitate to come talk to me whenever you're feeling down."

"Me too, Princey," Virgil said, slinging an arm around the creative Side's shoulders.

"Thanks, both of you."

Thomas clasped his hands together. "How about this: let's have a Disney marathon tonight. Your pick, Roman."

"Really?"

"Really. Who better to choose than my very own Disney Prince?"

For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Roman couldn't help but smile. 

"Deal."


End file.
